Folding counter stool



United States Parent c FOLDING COUNTER STOOL Peti-us Dierikx, West Islip, N. Y. Application March 14, 1957, Serial No. 646,7 1 laim. (CI. 155- 78 This invention relates to counter stools in general and in particular to counter stools that may be 'folded out of position when not in use.

i An object of this nvention is to provide a mgged, practic'al .and serviceable counter stool which may be easily and cheaply fabricated and which may be folded compactly against a counter so that it will not interfere with a person standing at the counter and so that it will present no impediment to the thorough cleaning of the entire floor .area in front of the counter.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved folding counter stool to be attached to the front surface of a counter and to be constructed in such a manner that, when the counter stool is in use, it will exert a very slight and minimum twisting, bending or pulling force on the counter to which it is attached.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved folding counter stool which is stable and self supporting when in use because it rests on three dispersed support members.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an improved folding counter stool with a main support member and two rearwardly disposed support members connected by a novel linkage so that, as the main support member is folded upwards, and towards the counter when the stool is not in use, the two rearwardly disposed support members will also be folded toward the main support member and the counter.

An additional objectof this invention is to provide a folding counter stool connected to a counter by means of an improved linkage so that, when the stool is folded upwards towards the counter, the improved link'age will hold the stool in the folded position without the need for any special or extra retaining means of any kind.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention reside in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts involved in the embodiment of the inven- 'tion'as will be understood from the following description and accompanying drawings wheren,

Figu'e l is a side elevation of the improved folding counter stool in the operative position;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the linkage attached to the main support member of the improved folding counter stool with the main support member shown in the operative position;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the improved folding counter stool in the operative position `with the seat and the main support member shown in section and with the seat back, one rearwardly disposed support member, and a portion of the mounting bracket removed;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the improved folding counter stool in the folded position;

Figure 5 is a rear elevation of the improved folding counter stool in the folded position; and

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the link-age holding the main support member of the improved folding counter stool in the folded position.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the main support memice ber 10 comprises a lower portion 11, a rearwardly ofiset portion 12 and an upper portion 13. A vertical channel 14 is milled in the lower portion of the main support member so that the upper link member 15 and the lower' link member 16 may be pivotally attached to the main support member within the channel by means of the pins 17 and 18. Secured to the back surface of the main support member just below the oifset portion with the screws 19 and 20 is the mounting block 21. The mounting block pivotally secures the horizontal member 24 to the main support member. The rearwardly disposed support members 22 and 23 are connected rigidly at their upper ends by the horizontal member 24.

The upper portion 13 of the main support member 10 has a small rearward horizontal extension 25 of which a part forms the latch securng surface 26. A seat 27, covered with a soft upholstery material 28 hasthe seat supporting bracket 29 secured to its under surface. This seat supporting bracket 29 is pivotally connected to the top of the main support member by the pin 30. Within the seat supporting bracket, as shown in Figure 3, there is the slidably mounted latching bolt 31 which is urged towards the main support member by the compression spring 32. Attached to the latching bolt and extending through the compression spring is the Operating rod 33 joined to the plate 34 which is set within the guard 35. If a rearward pressure is exerted on the plate 34 the Operating rod will withdraw the latching bolt from contact with the latch securing surface against the compression spring to allow the seat to be pivoted about the pin 30. A seat back 36 may be pivotally secured to the sides of the seat by means of the L-shaped seat back support members 37 and 38 so that the seat back may either be held in the operative position with the back support members restng against the stops 39 and 450 as shown in Figure l or be folded forward against the top surface of the seat as shown in Figure 4 and Figure 5.

When the folding counter stool is in the operative position, the upper link member 15 and the lower link member 16 are approximately in a horizontal position with the ends of the link members disposed away from the main support member pivotally secured between the fianges 41 and42 of the mounting bracket 43 by the pins 44 and 45. The mounting bracket is secured to the vertical front surface 46 of a counter or like object 47. The upper link has an upward curving extension 48 which holds the pin 49 in a position above the pin 17 and not folding counter stool is in the operative position as shown 'inFigure l, Figure 2 and Figure 3. The pin 49 extends beyond the' width ,of the main support member to be pivotally connected to the retractingmembersSO which are disposed on either side of the main support member and extend to have their other ends pivotally connected to the retracting rod 52. The retracting rod 52 extends between the support members 22 and 23 as shown in Figure 5.

The improved folding counter stool is folded from the operative position in the following manner. The guard 35 is grasped as the plate 34 is moved rearwardly by a pressure from the fingers. This enables the seat assembly to be pivoted forward about the pin 30. As the seat assembly tilts forwards, the seat back 36 can be urged forward to assume the position shown in Figure 4 or the seat back support members may be made to pivot so easily about the pivotal mounts 53 and 54 that the seat back would fall forwards into the retracted position by itself. While the seat assembly is being tilted forwards or after it has assumed the vertical retracted position, the main support member may be moved upwards and forwards as the upper and lower link members pivot about the pins 44 and 45. Because the upper link Patented Och 14, 1958 member may be made longer between the pins 44 and 17 than the lower link member is between the pins 45 and 18, the main support member would be nclined slightly away from the front surface of the counter when it is in the operative position. For this reason as the main support member moves upwards, it will incline to a greater degree away from the counter. This is a very important improvement in folding counter stool linkage as it allows the improved counter stool to remain in the folded position without any springs or other devices to hold it in that position. As the main support member nears the top of its permissable motion being restrained by the upper and lower link members, the pins 17, 18 and 45 will almost form a straight line so that the torque about the pins 17 and 18, as the main support member tends to rotate backwards about them, exceeds the downward Component of forces acting on the upper and lower link members. At this point the folding counter stool will remain in the folded position because it will be held by this improved linkage. Whilethe main support member is moving upward, the pin 49 moves forward relative to the main support member as the link member pivots about pin 17. Pin 49 then pulls the retracting members 50 forward and they in turn pull the retracting rod 52 forwards so that the support members 22 and 23 pivot with and about the horizontal member 24 and fold the support members 22 and 23 towards the main sup port member 10.

To move the foldng counter stool from the folded position to the operative position, the main support member is pulled back and down as the seat is moved toward the horizontal position until the latching bolt becomes engaged and the seat back is placed in the upright position. When the folding counter stool reaches the position shown in Figure 1, it is almost self sustaining as it rests on the main support member and the support members 22 and 23. Under normal conditions of usage, the stool will not exert any undue bending, twisting or pulling forces on the mounting bracket 43 since the stool will be standing in a stable manner on three support members. The olfset 12 is only necessary in as much as it allows the stool to be folded more compactly and enables the link members 15 and 16 to be made shorter than would otherwise be necessary.

The seat back need not be used with this invention, although it enhances the comfort of the stool. In the practice of this invention, the link members 15 and 16 may be single as shown, or they may be doubled in pairs to pass on both sides of the main support member. Also the double retracting members may be replaced by a single retractng member extending through or to one side of the main support member. These elements and the support members of the improved folding counter stool may be made from any suitable material such as steel, aluminum or Wood. Also the retracting of the rearwardly extending support members may be accomplished by 'placing the extension 48 on the lower link member 16 rather than on the upper link member 15.

Although I have shown the stool with the upper link member longer than the lower link member, the links may be of equal length if a suitable restraining means is used to hold the stool in the folded position. For example, if a spring was not used to hold the stool in the folded position by being connected between the front of the counter and the majn support member, any of the elements ot' the linkage that pivot relative to each other could be made to offer a resistance to hold the stool in the folded position. Friction incurred by tightening the mounting block 21 against the horizontal member 24 could hold the stool in the folded position.

While I have disclosed my invention in the best form known to me, it will nevertheless be understood that this form and its modfications are purely exemplary and that modifications in the Construction, arrange ment and combination of parts, substituton of materials and substtution of equivalents mechanically may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as herein described and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

A folding counter stool comprising a main support member, a seat connected to the upper end of said main support member, an anchored member, a first link mernber pivotally connected to said anchored member and said main support member, a second link member pivotally connected to said anchored member and said main support member so that said first and said second link members are disposed one above the other, an upward extension of said first link member, two rearwardly extending support members pivotally connected at their upper ends to said main support member and a retractng link pivotally connected to said rearwardly extending support members and said upward extension of said first link member so that as said seat and said main support member are folded upward said first and said second link members will pivot about said anchored member and said upward extension of said first link member will pull said retracting link forward to fold said rearwardly extending support members towards said main support member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,o25,14o Baver et al. May 14, 1912 1,716,327 Sevier June 4, 1929 2,652,880 Gundersen Sept. 22, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 56,149 Germany Apr. 23, 1891 163,634 Great Britain May 26, 1921 

